The manymany ways in which Aoi and Oga could kiss
by Devilry
Summary: THE READERS ASKED FOR FLUFF. FLUFF THEY SHALL RECEIVE. (Well, kinda)
1. 11: Park Debut, IYKWIM

The manymany ways in which Aoi and Oga could kiss

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Disclaimer: This is NOT a story that will shed light on Aoi Kunieda's personality. (EDIT: Sorry, lol, it is. I just can't help it.) This is NOT a story that will take me eons to write because the scenes are complex and character developments carefully orchestrated. If you want something that will leave you pondering and philosophising about just who or what this girl known as Aoi Kunieda is, go read 'Two Faces of Kunieda'.

So, now that I've gone over what it is NOT, let me tell you what it is. This is a series of single-scene descriptives that aim to create legitimately swoon-worthy AoixOga fluff without butchering either one of their personalities. It does not talk about how their relationship will be affected following said kiss, or whether Oga's hardheaded prepubescence will be shattered by the forceful reproach of an impatient, disillusioned Cupid, empowering Aoi (usually) to cut the chase and set the game into motion.

Because, no matter how much I want Aoi to be a character with overflowing personality and beauty, I too have an overactive imagination and yearning for fluff that begs to be liberated. I, too, am able to empathise with the Thanatos who excitedly follows the Cold War, with all its mingy teasing and playful brinkmanship, only to be let down by what must have been one of the most demonstratably underwhelming resolutions EVER. As the saying goes, 'some times it is better to just fuckcare and make Aoi and Oga to get to it already' (I time-travelled to the future and read it in a book while I was there. It's a quote from this legendary fanfiction author who went by the pen name of Devilry).

Believe me, I know your fustration. And so, behold, I present to you **The manymany ways in which Aoi and Oga could kiss**. It is, essentially, an illustration of how Aoi Kunieda could break into a spontaneous, passionate, fiery kiss with Oga Tatsumi at **EVERY CONCEIVABLE** point in the manga, starting all the way from when she first meets him. Each new chapter will start right at the heart of canon, completely independent of all my previous chapters, and it will describe how Aoi and Oga can end up kissing at whichever point of the manga they are currently at, and it will still be consistent with their personality.

I know, right? This idea. It's insane. I love it.

Enjoy.

(By the way, I hope that this does not fill the gap in your heart that TFOK never could, causing readership and reviewership of it to go down. If so, I will be very sad indeed.)

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Chapter 11 – Park Debut, IYKWIM

By Devilry

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'Please go out with me.'

Aoi stared. And stared some more. Men were not _supposed _to ask her out. That was the most fundamental rule that kept the universe stable. That was how things worked.

As the queen of Ishiyama High, men did not ask her out. She had plenty of suitors, and they asked to be with her, but that was not the same as asking her out. For some reason, they seemed to believe that the time they spent being seen beside her in public was related to the size of the bulge in their pants. Which was a very odd thing to do, because most of the men who approached her walked away with their balls a little smaller.

As the innocent, bucket-hat young girl who took her brother Kouta out for a walk, men did not ask her out. There was a chance that perhaps the baby she carried around was actually her brother and she was going out of the way to take care of him. Of course, there was also the chance that she was a decrepit teenage mother who learnt to open her legs too early and forgot how to close them. It was funny how many men who thought they were studs were obdurate enough to pester a girl even though she had already turned them down many times, but nobody had the guts to do as little as say _hi _the moment there was a possibility that they would suddenly become responsible for something more than buying breakfast the morning after for their fuck-of-the-night.

And so she told herself that if a man were to actually _ask her out, _he would immediately be high up on her list of consideration. And lo and behold, it actually happened.

Who was this boy who just approached her out of the blue? He had a baby with him, which could mean many things, of which only two she was certain of. Firstly, he did not care for exhibiting the conventional image of masculinity which would supposedly increase his chances of scoring a girl. Secondly, he was willing to be responsible for something else besides his own ego.

He was special, no doubt. It was true that this chance might never pass her by again. If she were to say yes, he might prove to be the most amazing man to ever enter her life. This could be the decisive point that would forever change her image as a spinster who would never get married, and eventually hide herself away on an island with hundreds of creepy dolls.

But how could she just recklessly give herself away to some stranger like that? If she said yes, he would enter her life unbarred and build a nice little cottage in the middle of her private sphere. He could go around, arm over her shoulder, bragging that the queen of Ishiyama High was his girlfriend. He could peck her lightly on the cheek every now and then and lean in to enjoy the sweet smell her hair, and she could do little but smile and blush. She would no longer just be _a _girl, but _his _girl.

_Or, if he is unsatisfactory, you can always just dump him later on. _The queen spoke.

That was enough for now. She was getting too far ahead of herself. She had to give him some sort of reaction before his first impression of her was sealed.

'Ah...umm...I mean, I still don't know very much about you and...' She spoke. This was not good. She was stuttering all over the place. She meant to sound cautious but inquisitive. Instead, she just sounded meek and indecisive.

'—Yeah, me too, I don't know much 'bout ya.' The man said. Aoi blushed furiously. His reply was _impeccable_. He was confident and listened to her, engaging with full rapport. At the same time, he was humble, and did not jump to any premature conclusions and brag to know everything about her based on purely how she looked or spoke.

This was bad. Her facial expression clearly gave off her interest in him. She did not want to succumb to him so quickly, but it would be completely unnatural for her to say no at this point. If only she had the strength of the queen of Ishiyama High right now... Unfortunately, she had practiced compartmentalising her personalities so well that the queen was simply inaccessible to her right now.

She had to say yes. There was no other choice that would be consistent with her personality. She was completely charmed, and that was more than fact. She would think about how to reveal her true nature to him at some other time, but for now she was the cute girl in the park who had become more than just eye-candy.

'—But, it's that, you know?' The man continued. 'The park debut...'

'Park debut?' Aoi asked, not really comprehending him. What was his ulterior motive? What kind of move was he trying to pull on her?

'Park debut.' The man repeated flatly. No subtext, no tone, no hidden meaning.

'So when you said "please go out with me"... is that what you meant?' Aoi could feel her eyebrows twitching in aggravation.

'...Is there any other meaning?' The man asked her with childlike superficiality. He was the real deal. What he said was exactly what he meant.

_Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-?_ Aoi stared in disbelief. She was about to say yes. The **QUEEN** of fucking Ishiyama High was about to say yes. He had NO IDEA how many guys would love to be in his position right now, and he did not even mean what he said.

The whole world no longer made sense. First, a naked baby flew in the sky like a shooting star. Then, the naked baby belonged to a man. Then, the man actually asked her out. Then, she was actually about to say yes. Then, the man did not mean what he said.

_My god, what an incredibly wierd day._ Aoi thought to herself. And then suddenly, she felt the queen in her rising from her slumber. She had tried her best to make herself completely docile and placable while taking Kouta out for walks in the park, so as to ensure that she would not accidentally give herself away even if she had been caught off-guard. But even this was too much for her.

All the traits of the queen were coming back to her now. Her determination, her commanding aura, the fact that she knew what she wanted and always got it.

_Stupid boy. If you flirt with a girl, you better damn well be ready to face the consequences should you succeed..._

Aoi adjusted her hat so it would not get in the way, and smiled at him cheerfully. Oga looked back in curiosity.

This was an incredibly wierd day. But it could always get wierder.

'Well, there is another meaning to it.' She apprised gently. Then, she leaned in and pressed her lips against his. 'And that's the one _I _meant.'

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End note: YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO SAY YOU LIKE THIS STORY MORE THAN TFOK. IF YOU SAY THAT I WILL COOK YOU ALIVE AND EAT YOU FOR DINNER.


	2. 0: Special

Announcement: Hey guys! From now on, I'm going to be implementing a new section at the end of ALL of my stories called R&R - Reviews & Reples. For more information, please check my profile page!

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'There he is again!' Ten-year-old Aoi tugged at the hem of Nene's shirt excitedly.

'I don't believe it! You're right!' Nene exclaimed. 'What's a boy doing in the Red Tails?'

'I don't know.' Aoi sighed. 'But he's so cool...'

'Woahwoahwoah!' Nene clasped Aoi's shoulders and shook them violently. 'Your face is getting all dreamy! That's NOT good! Didn't you forget, Aoi-chan? If we want to join the Red Tails, we can't be with boys!'

'But he's in the Red Tails too!' Aoi protested. 'Doesn't that make it okay?'

'I don't think it works that way!'

'Whatever.' Aoi pouted. 'Grandpa told me that this whole not liking boys thing was a 'phase'. He said that I needed to start exploring my options as soon as possible, because it'd be very difficult to find a boy he approves of.'

'Fine then.' Nene gave in. 'Do what makes you happy. Don't blame me if we can't join the Red Tails after that, though.'

'Thanks, Nene-chan!' Aoi clapped her hands together in delight. Then, she turned and scooted over to the boy in the middle of the construction site, carefully lifting her track pants so she would not get it dirtied by the bloodied bodies of unconscious thugs lying around the area.

She stopped behind a pillar, making sure she had not caught his attention then. Then, she carefully adjusted her hair one last time and took a deep breath, before hugging her shinai and approaching the boy in slow, uncertain steps.

'Oga, look at that girl! She's cute! She's really really cute! I think I'm in love with her!' Another boy shouted, and Aoi looked at him in surprise. Somehow, she had never noticed him before. It was as though he had been standing behind the boy called Oga the whole time.

'Hey!' Oga waved at Aoi, and she could feel her cheeks turn red. 'Cool sword you got there!'

'Um... th-thanks!' Aoi laughed nervously. 'I... um... do you w-want it?' Then, she held her shinai in both arms, and thrust it towards him. However, her arms were shaking, and she felt like she could drop it any time.

'You're giving it to me?' Oga said in amazement. 'Wow, that's awesome! Thanks, um...'

'A-aoi...' Aoi stuttered, looking towards the ground.

'Thanks, Ah-aoi! I'm Tatsumi!'

'WOAH.' The other boy intercepted. 'Stop right there! Firstly, don't ignore me! Secondly, I have the better looks! I deserve the girls, not you, Oga! Hey there, my name is Furuichi! Thirdly, stop- Hey, dammit, I said don't ignore me! Oga!' Oga continued to run his hand along the smooth length of the shinai, fascinated by its simplicity and beauty.

Eventually, he turned back to Aoi, and spoke. 'Sorry, Ah-aoi. I'll have to give it back to you. I think I prefer to fight with just my bare hands. Still, why do you want to give it to me?'

'Um...' Aoi could feel her knees going weak again. What a direct question! This boy was sure to impress her grandpa. 'W-will you marry me when we grow up?' Her voice became tight, and she could feel her heart bursting out of her chest.

'Sure!' Oga replied.

'Huh. R-really?' Aoi stammered. ('OGAAAA! I HATE YOU! DAMMIT, WE'RE NOT FRIENDS ANY MORE!)

'Yeah, really! I have no idea what marry means, but it sounds like being happy!'

'Um, y-yeah!' Aoi nodded her head furiously. 'I'll be happy if you marry me. I think you'll be happy too!'

'Okay, then I'll be happy to marry you, Ah-aoi!' Oga grinned.

Aoi accepted the shinai gracefully, and put it back in its sheath.

'Uh, one more thing...' She continued. 'Grandpa said that... when a boy and a girl are about marry... they put their mouths together... I think it's for good luck or something...'

The other boy promptly fainted on the spot.

Oga looked on in curiosity. 'I've never heard of that before!' He scratched his head.

'It's true!' Aoi persisted. 'Grandpa is really smart!'

'So... you're saying that we should... put our mouths together...?' Oga tilted his head to the side quizzically.

'Um... y-yes!'

'Okay! Why not?'

'Really?' Aoi's eyes widened in surprise. This was going far better than she had expected.

She squeezed her eyes shut, and edged closer to him. As she shuffled her feet forward, inch by inchi, she tripped over Oga's shoes, and had to place her hands on his shoulder for support. Now, she was so close to him that she could hear him breathing. At the last second, she opened her eyes a teeny bit, wanting to know what was going on.

Oga was staring at her, eyes wide open.

Aoi shrieked, and pushed against Oga with such force that he fell to the ground. Then, she turned around, and ran away as fast as she could.

'Hey!' The other boy miraculously woke up, and caught up with her. 'I'm Furuichi, nice to meet you!'

'Noooo!' Aoi unsheathed her shinai and hacked away at him, sending him flying backwards. He landed butt first on the concrete ground, and burst into tears.

'Ah-Aoi, we're still going to marry, right?' Oga called out after her, but she did not respond.

When she finally found Nene, Aoi was sweaty all over, and panted heavily.

'Are you okay?' Nene asked her worriedly.

'You're right, Nene-chan!' Aoi declared in a flurry. 'Boys are scary! I don't want to be with them any more!'

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The manymany ways in which Aoi and Oga could (nearly) kiss

Chapter 0 (Special)

By Devilry

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Hey guys! I wrote this because I was inspired by chapter 174, where we get a sneak peek of Oga as a young boy. It just led me to wonder; what if Aoi met Oga back then? After all, Aoi must've found out about the Red Tails in some way to want to join it. She doesn't know Misaki, which would lead me to think that she was probably too young back then. Well, whatever, I don't really care too much for speculating about that - we'll find out when we find out, or maybe we never will. I just thought that you guys would appreciate this cute little exchange :)

With regards to TFOK, I am still in the process of rewriting it, and no, I definitely have NOT abandoned it. I do plan to release it sooner or later! If you want, you can always drop me a PM to ask me how my progress is going along, and I'll reply you as soon as I can!

For now, I'll try to update manymany ways every once in a while, mainly because it's really easy to write, and because I treasure my readership, and I don't want you guys to lose hope in me :(

So yeah, if you liked it, please do leave a review!

Ciao!

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Reviews & Replies

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Amity33:

_Even though this is not a story but just random fluff snippets, I like it. It's like when you think about manga characters you love and you make them do in your head what they haven't done and may never do in the manga. Most of us fans have had such scenes played in our heads, but it's not often when someone is good enough to put them down in writing - but I think you are._

Reply:

_Hey, thanks for the review!_

_As an author, I'm really happy that you trust me to be able to write these scenes without 'spoiling' them. When writing this story, I partially set out to give my own wild imagination some sort of concrete shape, but I also want fans to be able to get that release for their cravings for fluff ^^ No matter who you are, everyone enjoys a good does of fluff every now and then._

_Hehe, yes, I too have these scenes played in my head, all the time. And not all of them are appropriate for ... *cough*_

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From Red to Violet:

_New chapter yeah! :) _  
_I like the idea of this fic but i have a question in general the chapters are going to be like the first you did or more like this one? _  
_PS: when Aoi asks Oga if he wanna marry her in the future and he don't know what marriage is make me remember Goku from Dragon Ball XD_  
_P.S 2: Sorry for my English :P_

Reply:

_Hey, thanks for the review!_

_In general, the chapters will be more like the first one. I've already more or less compiled a list of the chapters that I want to base this story on._

_As for the specials, like this one, they're just spontaneous ideas off the top of my head that will come to me as and when. I don't make any plans for writing them._

_If, however, I get and accept a request to write a particular scenario that can't be based off any existing chapter in the manga that falls in line with the general theme of this story, I will release it as a special :)_

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Atropos' Knife:

_Oh shoot, I can't believe I forgot to tick the checkbox for 'follow: story' and 'follow: author' and wasn't aware you updated this wonderful series. *stupidstupidstupid*_

_Cuteness overload, this. I like your alternative take on Chapter 174 that, despite his ingrained guarded nature, Oga's fine-tuned instincts had allowed him to let a very select few, like Furuichi, to get to near him. And in this fic, a ten-year-old Aoi was successful in entering his tight circle where so many others were - and can - not._

_While many would argue young Oga could be OOC for dropping his shield down for a stranger like Aoi, this scenario perfectly parallels his first meeting with Aoi Kunie much later, of how easygoing and comfortable he was around her at the onset. This fic merely reinforces the notion of Oga possibly relying on his instincts to determine who he can allow himself to trust and have his back, and Aoi has always been a part of his natural selection from her introduction. And I can imagine, even from childhood if they had happened to meet as you have speculated here._

_In all, this is a very nice and fitting supplement to canon. Off to read the next in the series. Cheers!_

Reply:

_Lololol. No offense, friend, but I think you might be looking too much into this._

_Naw, I jest. I have no right to say how a reader should interpret my work. Tamura-sensei probably never intended half the things I say about Aoi, but I believe that when all of us (mangaka included) tap into our common understanding of the human condition to create a character so well developed and vivid, all sorts of new truths can be brought to the light._

_Your interpretation is good, but I didn't think of it. I could even say that you have, in this case, developed a better understanding of my work than even I have._

_To me, I based Oga's friendliness towards Aoi on the fact that he was generally more comfortable amongst women as a child, especially assertive (even if a little shy) women of the Red Tails type, which Aoi would eventually grow up to be._

_But no, that's not just it. There are probably plenty of mannerisms I didn't touch on that Oga would've picked up - Aoi's idealism, her balance of innocence and passion - that would cause him to trust and give Aoi more attention that most other women._

_This is how writing should be; a continuous dialogue between reader and text. I, having already pulled this out from the realm of my imagination to digital paper, am now but another reader too :)_


	3. 20: Loss in some ways, win in others

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The manymany ways in which Aoi and Oga could kiss

Chapter 20 - Loss in some ways, win in others

By Devilry

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No matter how Aoi saw it, Oga was just your typical hooligan.

Bashing Miwa's face into the ground over and over? _Unoriginal._ That wretched smile plastered all over his face? _Clichéd._ Ruthless? _Check._ Unforgiving? _Check._ Used violence to solve all his problems? _Check._

So what if Oga carried a baby around? Plenty of delinquents did stupid things like that to try to make a name for themselves. If anything, it was unforgivable that he would choose to put a baby's life in danger for something as trivial as his reputation.

So what if he asked her to become his child's mother? Was he not just trying to hit on her like all the other guys? And he was crafty, for it worked. Now, she was the laughing stock of the school. Not just her; he had also successfully disgraced the entire Red Tails, and all the girls under her protection.

The only thing that set him apart was his extraordinary strength. But that did not make him more than a hooligan; it only made him more hooligan. Not just more of a hooligan, but more of a _man_. Oga did not care about anyone other than himself, especially his child. He paraded the baby around like some kind of naked freak show, forcing him to embrace violence from young. He was the kind of man destined to turn into the alcoholic who would stay out all night, and come back home in a drunken stupor only to beat his wife and his kids. Oga treated Aoi like a toy, not a human being; just another plaything. Beaten and proposed to, all in the span of five minutes. She approached for a fair fight; he played the dirtiest trick in the book.

Indeed, Oga was the alpha male, the leader of the wolf pack, the extreme embodiment of what it meant to be masculine. He disgusted her.

It was not as though the Red Tails had never made mistakes before. Unlike men, Aoi made sure that all her girls were honest and upright. They did not deceive others and they apologised when they were in the wrong. No matter what, they were not to stoop to the level of men. There was no ego to protect. All Aoi had to do was apologise to Oga, turn around and leave. Nothing else needed to be said or done, and they would go their own separate ways.

End of story.

So why couldn't she do just that?

Why was she still rooted to the ground, all this unease clouding her heart? She felt choked, like a cork squeezed down the opening of a small bottle. Something was in there, wanting to be let out. It had a tiny, shrill voice, and she had no idea what it was trying to say.

'Fweeeh, it's finally quiet!' Oga stopped to wipe the sweat off his forehead, and looked to the sky in delight. Miwa was submerged in the concrete up to the waist, and his legs dangling in the air like some kind of avant-garde art display.

'Wiiiiiiii!' The baby cheered, sharing Oga's enthusiasm.

'Oh, so you're back to being in a good mood huh, Baby Beel?' Oga grinned, bringing the baby back up to his shoulders. 'Good, good. You're not gonna cry any more over a little spilt blood, are you?' He cajoled gently.

_See? There it is again! _Aoi thought to herself frantically. _Oga has__ OBVIOUSLY exposed his child to so much violence that he's now enamoured by it! That, right there, is proof of his inimical and irresponsible parenting! There's no reason for me to feel indebted to a guy like that!_

No good. Her internal voice did not sound reasoned like she had hoped it would. It was a bunch of flustered and senseless squeals, like the kind of excuses a girl would make to convince herself that she hated a guy, and totally did not have any feelings for him. But for what reason? There was no need for her to make such excuses. It was not as though she had feelings for him or anything like that. Besides, the Red Tails forbade male-female relationships anyway (nothing about lesbianism, since lesbians were always feminists).

Okay, so maybe it was an overstatement to say that Oga did not care about his child. After all, Oga always made it his highest priority to cheer his child up whenever he got upset. He brought his child wherever he went, even when no delinquents were watching, and saw himself as enough of a parent enough to want to have a proper park debut.

Also, unlike the other delinquents, and crucially so, Oga was no aggressor. Aoi was the one who had approached him, not the other way round.

Aoi's first impression of Oga came from hearsay. And she trusted it, for hearsay was never wrong in the delinquent world. Whoever controlled the men controlled the gossip, and whoever controlled the latest manhood fashion trends controlled the men.

But now that she actually met him in person, he did not seem _bad_ as much as he was _weird__._

What if it was true that Oga was really different from the rest?

What then?

As leader of the Red Tails, Aoi went around wrestling to free women all over from the oppression of men. Where the Red Tails went, she thrashed all the male gangs in the area and taught the women to fight back. Like a modern day prophet, she came and left them with her favourite Betty White quote: '_Why do people say "grow some balls"? Balls are weak and sensitive. If you wanna be tough, grow a vagina. Those things can take a pounding.'_

Aoi had always seen it as a righteous cause, because the men were the perpetrators of injustice in the first place. But if even one of them proved to be different, and one of the strongest men she had ever faced at that... what then?

Now Aoi knew why she could not simply walk away. The entire existence of the Red Tails was at stake. Not just the Red Tails, but the purpose of her life.

'Well then!' Oga turned back to face her, the child firmly secured behind him. 'Shall we continue?'

Aoi froze. She knew what the answer should be, but dreaded to say it.

'This is my loss.' She grimaced. There was no longer a point to the fight.

Oga and Nene both looked at her in surprise.

_It's not the misunderstanding..._ _I lost because Oga has proven that I no longer have the right to fight him.__ I never had it in the first place. _Aoi thought bitterly.

She still had no idea what Oga's true intentions were, nor did she have any clue as to why his baby was naked (and she had a feeling that nobody would ever find out). However, Oga's honesty was penetrating. In all its majesty and incandescence, Aoi could feel herself being freed from the dark clouds in her mind. She was wrong for making all these assumptions about Oga, and she was wrong for imposing her own views on him. In a way, she had committed the same crime men had committed for centuries. This time, she was trying to be the oppressive force.

However, it did not mean that the Red Tails no longer had a reason for existence. Aoi's fight was still worthwhile. Many other men were not like Oga, and the Red Tails would continue their crusade for as long as there were women out there victim to their oppression.

At the same time, Aoi realised that this enmity did not have to go on forever. And it could start with Ishiyama High. If Oga were to conquer the school... if it was Oga... then perhaps he could be shining exemplar for all the other delinquents. He did not need to be a complete gentleman - in fact, it was probably better that he wasn't, for gentlemen were only gentlemen because they conformed to the social norms of the time; a true prodigy knew how to treat women properly irrespective of circumstance. If Oga could do it in a delinquent school, then he was the mightiest of them all.

Oga would be the one to inspire all the other delinquents to just cut the hypocrisy altogether and be honest with themselves... their insecurities and fears, their desire for companionship without feeling threatened or weak.

Oga gave Aoi hope. Hope for men, and hope for women, that they need not exist only to struggle against each other.

_Oga... you have no idea what you're doing half the time... but you're a really amazing person, you know that? _Aoi smiled to herself. _So, it's my loss, huh..._

'...No.' She rescinded. It was not just a loss. This fateful encounter was far too significant to end with just a simple admission of defeat. Aoi needed to let Oga know how much his presence meant to her.

'That's not it.' Aoi hesitated, trying to make sense of her muddled thoughts. It was not a loss, but it was technically not a win either. How could she arrange all these conflicting feelings in a way that she could understand?

Aoi knew that she did not want to just walk away from Oga. She wanted to keep in touch, so that she would be able to give him her encouragement and support. She wanted to observe his progress; to vindicate her trust in him, and learn something new about humanity and herself each new day.

From now on, Aoi wanted to be by Oga's side. It seemed like the best way forward. If the Queen were to join forces with the King, then they could be the epitome of how men and women should live.

_Of course, just a perfectly platonic relationship will do. _Aoi thought to herself in a reasoned voice. _Anything more is unnecessary, really. I mean, Oga has a baby and all... I guess it'd be really complicated if I tried to get any closer. Then again, it might be more advantageous for us to be romantically involved. After all, this will allow us to show everyone what it means for there to be gender equality in a relationship. I mean, we could show them how to date properly... how to walk around school without brandishing a girl like some kind of sex trophy... how to walk home together and hold hands and hug and kiss without being patronising - DAMMIT, I'VE COMPLETELY FALLEN FOR OGA._

Aoi was horrified.

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'How long are you planning on continuing these useless talks?' An icy, crisp voice pierced through the air.

There she was - this strange, busty woman in the Gothic get-up; a Siren for the modern man, where the punishment was unwarranted parental responsibility: a fate far worse than death.

'We're going home.' The woman declared. 'This woman in unable to become a parent.'

_How despicable. _Aoi stared at her, hatred in her eyes. _This woman__ walks around in revealing clothes - flashing her big bust everywhere she goes so that men continue to see women as sex symbols - and she just dumps her child on another man and expects him to find another mother? How DARE she say that I'm not fit to be a parent!_

The choice was clear. Aoi had to save Oga from the wretched hands of this woman. Not just for him, not just for herself, but for the fate of all men and women. This woman was the Judas of gender equality, and she had already made her move.

'Wait a minute.' Aoi spat. 'Aren't you embarrassed? Forcing your own child onto other people.'

'Hmph, if you've got a problem, then work on your skill and come again.' The woman replied with a wry smile.

'Wrong.' Aoi said tersely. 'This school needs better role models. If you think that fighting is the only answer, then you are clearly not fit to be Oga's partner!'

'What the hell is she talking about?' The woman asked.

'Beats me.' Oga shrugged.

'I, Aoi Kunieda, ex-leader of the Red Tails, will now free Oga from your control!' Aoi shouted.

'Ex...leader...?' Nene gasped.

Aoi walked up to Oga and kissed him fiercely. She pressed her lips against him in one swift motion, and all resistance faded away as he quickly yielded to her fiery passion. His movements were clueless, and so were hers, but searing heat from their interlocking bodies guided them.

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End note: Another update for this story :)

I must say, I've gotten more enthusiastic about writing Aoi fics lately. The last few Beelzebub chapters were kind to her, giving her plenty of much-needed screen time and character development, and this definitely helped in making me want to write about her again. If you want, head over to the Mangafox forums Aoi Kunieda Discussion Thread to check out what I have to say about it!

TFOK chapter 11 is coming out next :)

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End end note: (Because I feel it's necessary to say this)

I must give a pre-emptive warning to readers of this story: If you don't like this chapter because it's too 'intellectual', then stop reading my stories. I can guarantee you that you won't like any of my Beelzebub stories. Ever. I don't just aim to write_ '_normal' Beelzebub fics. If I was going to be forced to, then I would've never started writing it the first place, because stories that don't make you think is simply not my cup of tea.

My intended audience for ALL my stories is not people who see anime/manga as a quick fix entertainment. I want to reach out to people who realise that anime and manga can be meaningful to their lives; it's an art form that can make just as much of a difference as a good book. And Beelzebub is one of these manga that can be read meaningfully, which is why I'm writing about it in the first place. True, the characters are delinquents, and have low levels of formal education. However, don't be fooled; it does not mean that they are _simple_. Beelzebub has some of the most interesting and well developed characters, with very complex thoughts and motivations. Even if they are delinquents, these characters are _human beings_, and that means that they have the very same access to the sophisticated psychological faculties that all of us to.

What I don't conform to (and hence becomes a source of OOC-ness) is their limited ability to _express _their thoughts. I've already made a compromise: I ensure that they outward behaviour and mannerisms is completely befitting of their delinquent background. In exchange, I'm giving them a far superior narrative voice. I am completely fine with this, because the point of my fanfic is to develop the characters where their communicative abilities fail them in the manga itself.

I want to show my readers how to read Beelzebub critically and get the most out of it, because I believe that's so much potential for that in a fantastic manga like this. If this requires me to commit the crime of OOC-ness, then so be it. I don't write unless I have something good to say.

Now, for those of you who haven't been put off by my unapologetic attitude and are still reading at this point, I assure you that there will be more fluff in later chapters. Right now, Aoi and Oga simply don't know each other well enough. It's just not realistic for their relationship to go anywhere. With each new chapter, however, I skip to a later point in the manga, and their relationship becomes more and more developed.

Right now, the ratio of introspection to fluff is, like, 95% to 5%. In the future, I expect to see this ratio balance out to as much as 60% to 40% :)

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Reviews & Replies

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SharinganUserX:

_damn, I just read your profile and the Aoi discussion threrad on MF - so DEEP :)_

_ you're truly the biggest Aoi fan I've seen, it's amazing .. she's easily become one of my most favorite anime/manga characters since reading Beelzebub, feels good that I'm not alone_

_ I really like her slow development too .. and the multiply aspects of her personality_

_ though I wonder what will come of the Izuma team up .. well I like Izuma too anyway_

_ hoping to see many more Aoi fics from you_

_ have to say I already like this one as much as TFoK_

Reply:

_Hey, thanks for the review!_

_ Haha, I must say that I'm truly incapable of writing mindless fluff xD_

_ Well, I still can once in a while, like chapt 0. Still, when I first conceived of this story, I actually thought that the title would be self-explanatory. But it turns out I'm wrong. Ah well..._

_ However, I don't think it's entirely my fault. It's also because of Aoi and Oga are designed, and I mean this as good thing. Their relationship is just so unique and delicate that you can't just insert them into any formulaic fluff template and expect the story to work out; it'd just feel awkward and wrong. _

_ But don't worry! I promised fluff, and I WILL DELIVER. You can tell that the kiss scene at the end was a little more attentively written than that of Chapt 11._

_ Extrapolate this over a longer period of time, and you can tell that there will be some form of progress! :)_

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Atropos' Knife:

_Wow. SharinganUserX is right. I don't think there will ever, ever be a bigger, more thoughtful fan of Aoi Kunieda in fandom than you, and I'm using my (somewhat nonexistent) precognition skills here when I say this. Because between this and TFoK, you've nailed down all, and I mean ALL, the thoughts and feelings nineteen pages of each "Beelzebub" chapter cannot possibly capture with regard to Aoi. _

_ You, my friend, ARE Aoi Kunieda. That's pretty much the highest form of compliment I can offer. :)_

_ And that big, desperate kiss at the end of this chapter...you couldn't have portrayed a girl so madly and irrevocably in love any more eloquently (of course, barring the gender and behavioral norms polite Japanese society has placed on a girl like Aoi. Then again, this fic's title is "The manymany ways in which Aoi and Oga could kiss" after all, so screw that, right?). All said, I cannot wait to see in what form your 'progress' will end up taking as you tackle more chapters._

_ Looking forward to reading more soon (and I hope time will be kind to me these coming days to find opportunity to reread your old TFoK chapters and leave comments when I can)._

_ Cheers!_

Reply:

_I AM Aoi Kunieda?_

_ ..._

_ When I first read that, the bullish side of me recoiled a little. What, are you trying to say that I write like a girl, and that my work is now considered shoujo?_

_ But no, that's not it. It's a very interesting comment that required me to probe my own thoughts to discover what it means to me._

_ When I first started, writing from a woman's perspective, to me, was a matter of circumstance. Face it, Oga is not meant to be a character we can empathise with. He is both too simple and complex for our imagination. Almost every single fic out there that tries to depict a coherent story from Oga's perspective invariably butchers his personality, and it's not just the fault of the writers._

_ And so I came from Aoi's perspective, but from a position that was meant to be unambiguously male. I do indeed have my own fanboy moments that can and should legitimately be considered creepy. But there's also something more than that at work._

_ I've already stated in my profile that I have a strong conception of gender equality that causes me to disagree with many feminists out there. I want to know if my own ideas are fair to women, or if I'm just another man imposing my views on them._

_ And Aoi Kunieda has become my way of exploring this issue. It's no coincidence that I'm so enamoured by her character: A woman who starts off fiercely feminist, but eventually decides that there is more to it than just fighting, and begins to learn to coexist with men without relinquishing her passion and. independence. By discussing my views of gender equality through her, I am in fact trying to see if my views can be phrased (and are compatible) through a woman's point of view. And, judging by the positive responses from a number of female readers, including you, I'm glad to know that I'm not doing too badly :)_

_ In some ways I'm still fanboying about her, but in some ways I am indeed trying to BE her._

_ Or rather, much like Blanche and William Tennessee, it might be more accurate to say that my interpretation of Aoi Kunieda IS me - in drag._


End file.
